It is critical to quantitatively and reliably characterize the effects of swell and sag phenomena on the final parison dimensions in extrusion blow molding. To achieve this goal, an online image acquisition and analysis technique was developed. The successive images of parison were automatically taken using the online acquisition apparatus. These images were then analyzed by the combined use of the conventional digital image processing method and the new one developed by the authors. So the development of parison diameter and thickness swells with the extrusion time could be determined online. On the basis of the online obtained actual swell values, the pure swell and sag components were quantitatively determined. The developed technique was tested through a series of experiments using several resins under different processing parameters and die types. Shown in the present article were the results for a converging die under three different die gaps and a high-density polyethylene. Some new phenomena were observed using the proposed technique. The results showed that the technique yields fast and accurate determination of the evolution of diameter, thickness, and length of parison during its extrusion. The technique can be employed as a part of the closed loop control for blow molded part thickness. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.